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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

'Najib chose Shahrizat's kins over experienced Felda firm'

Out of six companies which had vied for the National Feedlot Centre's RM250 million project, the one belonging to the family of Wanita UMNO head Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was chosen by the government, in spite of the fact her husband's company was the least experienced in the field.

The selection committee was chaired by none other than prime minister Najib Razak.

Revealing this today, PKR said Najib decided to award the RM300 million project to Lambert Sdn Bhd and Agro Science Industries, which later formed the National Feedlot Corporation headed by Shahrizat's family members.

This is despite Felda Farm Products Sdn Bhd, a more financially stable firm with 11 years of relevant experience, was also among the six shortlisted companies.

“As the person responsible for awarding the project to a company owned by the minister’s family which has now been proved to be a failure in achieving its target and which has abused the fund allocated to it, Najib cannot just cannot run away from responsibility and keep an elegant silence,” said PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli today.

Rafizi also blasted Najib for talking about bringing Felda "to the next level" in his quest to enlist Felda Global Ventures Holding, when he had sidelined the land development authority by denying it a project that could have benefited Felda settlers.

According to Rafizi, Felda Farm Products was the most eligible company to run the NFC project, having a revenue of RM9.6 million in 2010.

The other five candidates were established as late as 2005, while Agro Science and Lambert was set up only in 2006.

Revealing more documents today on the embattled company, Rafizi said Shahrizat’s husband and NFC chairman Mohamad Salleh and their two children were the owners of a soon-to-be-opened supermarket called Farmhouse Supermarkets located in a high-end shopping mall in Singapore.

“How could the family have obtained bank loans to open a supermarket at a new luxury shopping mall (Star Vista) on the island?” asked Rafizi, who said it would cost at least S$1 million (RM2.2 million) to rent the outlet's 3000-sq metre area at the mall.